Show V DRUNK BILT IN V THE CHARGE O cW MR WATSON An Investigation By lit a Committee Seems f to Substantiate the tho Charge Congressman Watson of Georgia having having- V charged that members had been seen on the lire floor drunk an investigation was ordered V Vand and testimony was taken on the COth Mr Watson was the first witness He said that he knew enough to substantiate the charges he had bad made Ho He would regret to V mention names and would only under corn com He had in mind two members present pres eat ent during the debate on the sliver silver bill at a night session early in March when he be wrote about members members reeling on the floor of th House in a state of intoxication The phrase drunken speakers debating V V grave questions referred erred to one speaker oa ore one occasion only the Rockwell de- de deA A V bate In his opinion the speaker was in a state of Intoxication In front of the Ilia V V V speaker was a cup and saucer Its contents V were several replenished times limes ana aau it is was wai noticed the tho more he drank the more he wandered wandered wan wan- dered in his arguments Mr Watson testified V that he be heard the speaker ea a page V Bring me more of that stuff stutt that whisky V That gentleman aa as a lov- lov V V and honorable maP and one who no doubt the occurrence oc a aS much as V V could sIr Watson said he V would not shrink names 1 if forced to to- tote the te l ue His hesitation came caine V from a desire to shield the persons concerned Chairman Boatner said that the committee committee- would consider whether or not it would ask asIc for names Representative Otis of Kansa said he had bad seen evidences of intoxication of oI the member addressing the House When under under un- un der the influence of liquor witness said Hp V was pretty well set up I thought the longer he ire proceeded the worse he be grew representatives Halvorsen of Minnesota and Butler of Iowa each testified that on two occasions he had seen a single member drunk In the aisle On another occasion a man was drunk when the House Honse Mr Butler But But- V ler added another Instance by naming the silver debate and a pension night as the times V V V of drunkenness Mr Butler testified that he had bad seen only V four men drunk during the session V Miss D Dwyer wyer congressional reporter for lor the National Economist corroborated the pre pre- pre pre-f witness as tb a member under the influence la in fluence of liquor addressing the House V V Mr Watson then wanted to prove the ex cx existence of a room bar in the Capitol building but Chairman Boatner would not let him and would not agree that the record should show the refusal said that it w wits as a amat- amat mat matter V ter of public notoriety that whisky could bo had at either the Senate Sedate or House of the of-the the Cap Cap- itol By a vote o of Boatner Buchanan of Virginia Wolverton and Grout against V that of Mr Simpson a motion to admit evidence evi ei- V dence of the drinking in the House restaurant restaurant rant was overruled Representative Kim of Nebraska named two one occasions hei thought when the river and harbor bill was was' under discussion when discussion when he saw a drunk on the floor and Representative Baker recalled four Instances It appeared later on that Mr Cobb of Alabama Ala 1 bama was the member referred to as drunk while on the Noyes Rockwell contest con con- test V |